It was the Christmas holidays. Lily had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, partly because of Petunia, but partly because she'd decided that she couldn't sit on the fence between the wizarding and muggle worlds forever. She hadn't been allowed that choice. Besides, she felt like she needed to be near the forest and the library. During the full moon she had taken to running in the forest with the unicorns. Even though it should have made her feel tired the next day being up all night she always found it exhilarating and refreshing.
There hadn't been any attacks since she'd met the Death Eaters in the forest. It seemed Dumbledore had been right and they were nursing their wounds.
She'd got a little further in translating her manuscript with Remus' help. As much as she wanted to do it by herself, she had to accept help, at least to begin with. This had meant that she'd not only had to exclude him from the Charm but at his request Sirius, James and Peter as well, which she thought odd but she'd done it all the same, it wasn't that big of a deal. If she was honest, she quite enjoyed having more friends. The whole thing with Paddy had made her realise that she had been wrong in some of the things she'd used to think.
For most of her life she'd believed that she didn't need friends- didn't want them even, but the last few months had made her realise just how wrong she had been. It was such a relief to her to have Saffron to unburden herself onto, to be able to talk to about her worries and fears for the future and about being the Huntress. And Paddy had really made her think. She'd told him that it was worth trying to change the world for the better; that one person couldn't usually change the world but they could always change the world for one person.
That was what had started her thinking. If everyone believed like she had- that friends were an added extra and not really something you needed, then no-one would be there for each other. And in this broken world people needed each other more than ever. Someone who would care when things were hard, who would be there to take your hand and lead you through it. Someone who could always be relied upon and trusted when the world was full of deceit. Someone who would care enough to fight and even die for you. And she finally understood this. She understood what it meant to be one of these people; for that's what she was. And more than that- she was proud of it.
She wandered along the corridor humming to herself quietly, her hands in her pockets, Saffron by her side. Although her arms were no longer silver her hands still shimmered a little and she wore the pair of white silk gloves Saffron had leant her to cover this.
"So," Saffron began, "any plans for the holidays that don't involve hours spent pouring over that manuscript?"
Lily laughed, "Well it is really important!"
"I know, I know," Saffron replied, "But it doesn't mean that it isn't boring as watching the grass grow."
"Potter!"
Saffron turned to see Dan running along the corridor behind her. The two girls paused and turned to wait for him.
"There you are," he panted, "Quidditch practice, now. The weather's perfect!"
"If you say so captain," Saffron replied with a mock salute.
"Well I do," he replied with a grin, "I've managed to round up most of the others, it's a jolly good job the team are all staying for the holidays, it makes everything so much easier!"
Many more of the students had stayed at Hogwarts this Christamas. Privately, Lily thought it had something to do with the increased paranoia due to the Death Eaters' activities, even though there had been no sign of them since she had battled them in the forest a few weeks back. That and the fact that Hogwarts was just about the safest place anyone could ever be when Dumbledore was Headmaster, safer even than Gringotts in her opinion.
"Ok, I'll grab my broom and meet you out on the pitch," Saffron said.
"Great, see you there," and he ran back off up the corridor in search of his remaining players.
"Want to come and watch?" Saffron offered.
"No thanks," Lily replied, "it's freezing out there! And besides, Quidditch isn't that interesting anyway."
Saffron put on a look of scandalised horror, "You can't mean that?"
Lily grinned at her best friend who started to laugh.
"I'll catch you later Lil," she said, and turned back to the common room.
Lily continued on down the corridor, wondering what to do next. Up ahead three familiar boys tumbled out of a portrait that swung open to reveal a tunnel leading backwards. Dusting themselves off, they got to their feet. Remus looked up and spotted her, "Hello," he said.
"Hi Remus," Lily said, walking over to them, "what are you up to? Or shouldn't I ask?" she grinned.
"We're just exploring, trying to see if there are anymore passageways we haven't found yet," Remus replied, pushing a long lock of chestnut hair out of his face.
"And?"
"No joy, this one just leads to a bunch of old paintings," James replied, coming to stand next to his friend.
"What are they of?" Lily asked, interested.
"Ravenclaws!" said Sirius shaking his head and tutting.
Lily poked him in the chest, "and what's that supposed to mean?"
Sirius grinned and grabbed her hand, she blushed and looked away from his twinkling eyes. Because of her charm she'd never really had attention from guys before and Sirius' flirtatious behaviour sometimes caught her off guard. But she was getting used to it and very much hoped that she'd be immune to it soon. Especially since she didn't even fancy him! He was just-ugh, she couldn't explain it, but whatever it was, it was extremely irritating!
"They're paintings of people from long ago. Mostly a bunch of dead guys that are always sleeping," James said quickly.
"But there is this one woman," Sirius said, "so gorgeous!" he licked his lips, "Kinda looked like you Lillykins."
Lily took her hand back and rolled her eyes, "men!" She turned back to Remus, "where's your little shadow?"
"Peter you mean?"
She nodded.
"Gone home for the holidays," Remus said. "How's the translation going?"
"Better," she replied, "I think that it's a mixture of two sets of runes, one of them I can recognise, but the other I don't know. Oh, also, I think it might be some kind of poem or song."
"Why?"
"It's the way the lines are arranged, they end before the edge of the page and there are roughly the same number of symbols per line, which would indicate some kind of poem. Which wouldn't be entirely surprising really, prose is pretty recent in terms of literary development, only been around the last few hundred years."
"What makes you say this is literary and not factual? I thought you thought it was factual?" Remus asked.
Sirius was making snoring noises behind them.
Lily ignored him, "I do think it's factual, but not written like a historical account, like Morte d'Arthur."
"Like what?" he asked curiously.
"Morte d'Arthur is a medieval text," James said, "it tells the story of Arthur, not entirely accurate as it is told through the eyes of a muggle, but there's still fact in it. That's written in verse too."
Lily looked at him in surprise, "You have read Malory?" James nodded.
"God forbid that I should ever marry a Ravenclaw," said Sirius, "I have no idea what you're talking about, prose, verse, whatever."
"Prose is how stories are normally written and verse is the style that poetry is written in," Lily explained patiently.
"Whatever, it sounds boring to me," Sirius replied waving his hand dismissively.
"I didn't know you were into that kind of thing," Remus said to James.
"Well, I'm not really," James replied a little awkwardly, Sirius and Lily were both staring at him, "Malory's a little hard to read."
"What do you prefer then?" asked Lily, coming to stand in front of him.
He shrugged then grinned and he winked at Sirius before taking her hand, "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this, my lips two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Remus hid a grin behind his hand as James' lips brushed her gloved hand. Even Sirius looked amused, despite only having half an idea of what James was saying.
Lily looked archly at him before replying, "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands to touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." She moved her hand so that her palm was pressed against his.
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
"Aye, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."
"Oh then dear saint, let lips do what hands to. Then pray. Grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."
"Saints do not move, though grant thou for prayers' sake," she smiled as she spoke.
He grinned back, "then move not while my prayer's effect I take." He leaned in to kiss her, she gulped. As she felt the lightest touch of his lips against hers, Sirius let out a bark of laugher and James turned to his friend, the tips of his ears tinged pink, "don't knock poetry my friend, it comes in very useful," he told Sirius with a grin.
Lily, slightly pink herself, cleared her throat, "Umm, well if you've quite finished, I think I'd like to go and see these paintings."
"And what if he isn't finished?" asked Sirius smirking.
Lily laughed, "I'll see you guys later," she walked over to the hole behind the portrait and pulled herself up off the ground and crawled in. Standing, she waved to the three standing below her and walked into the darkness muttering, "lumos"
"Well Romeo?" Remus said, turning to grin at his friend.
"What?" James replied innocently, his eyes sparkling.
"'What?' he says," Sirius shook his head, a huge grin on his face.
James allowed himself a grin in return.
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A/N: Well I think that chapter was a bit shorter than normal but what did you think? Couldn't resist the wonder of Shakespeare! R&J is great, in fact all his plays are great, another great romance one is 'Antony and Cleopatra' I think I like that even better than R&J…
Agrippa- And now Antony must leave her utterly.
Enobarbus-Never, he will not.
Age cannot wither her, not custom stale her infinite variety
Other women cloy were most she satisfies…
*Sigh* the poetry…
Right, anyway, let me know what you thought, too little original dialogue or good use of great old material?